I really have to think that Babcock is enough of a pragmatist to realize that most centers when they come into the league aren't great on the draw and that he'd have a pretty fair amount of leeway for a top prospect with a long term future at center.

Whether Nylander's future is really there is another question.

Even if his future is at centre, it's probably likely that he'll play his first NHL season on the wing, ala Seguin or MacKinnon. Especially if both Kadri and Bozak are still on the team at that point.

Not that I think these will be who we have left, but assuming all our UFA are moved out at the deadline, or cut loose at the end of the season and we couldn't trade any of our long-term contracts and re-signed all RFAs...

I really have to think that Babcock is enough of a pragmatist to realize that most centers when they come into the league aren't great on the draw and that he'd have a pretty fair amount of leeway for a top prospect with a long term future at center.

Whether Nylander's future is really there is another question.

Even if his future is at centre, it's probably likely that he'll play his first NHL season on the wing, ala Seguin or MacKinnon. Especially if both Kadri and Bozak are still on the team at that point.

With that being said, does his net worth increase more if he masters the art of playing center and winning face offs in the AHL as opposed to playing wing on the big club?

With that being said, does his net worth increase more if he masters the art of playing center and winning face offs in the AHL as opposed to playing wing on the big club?

I don't know that an extended AHL stretch changes that centers, by and large, really have to master those things at the NHL level.

A guy like Froese was great in the circle in the AHL though and has brought that to the NHL.

On that subject, I read that Froese was over 65% in the d-zone but under 40% everywhere else. Probably means he's good against offensively talented players who are just ok on the draw, but when he faces other teams faceoff specialists he suffers some.

Not that I think these will be who we have left, but assuming all our UFA are moved out at the deadline, or cut loose at the end of the season and we couldn't trade any of our long-term contracts and re-signed all RFAs...

The only players not locked down in an NHL position from the current roster might be Froese, Marincin, Harrington, Corrado.

I don't see any reason to bring up Nylander this year that wouldn't be counter-productive to patient building/picking higher.

The Leafs are also likely going to have to take back contracts to make some of their deadline trades work, and those players will be used as filler for the rest of the season if they can't be moved as well. They may not actually need any of the Marlies to fill roster spots.

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"Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts." - Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Not that I think these will be who we have left, but assuming all our UFA are moved out at the deadline, or cut loose at the end of the season and we couldn't trade any of our long-term contracts and re-signed all RFAs...

The only players not locked down in an NHL position from the current roster might be Froese, Marincin, Harrington, Corrado.

I don't see any reason to bring up Nylander this year that wouldn't be counter-productive to patient building/picking higher.

The Leafs are also likely going to have to take back contracts to make some of their deadline trades work, and those players will be used as filler for the rest of the season if they can't be moved as well. They may not actually need any of the Marlies to fill roster spots.